Passengers face delays after derailment at West Ealing

Passengers have been warned of delays after a freight train derailed in west London.

National Rail said it happened at West Ealing at about 06:10 BST.

A spokesperson said a freight train travelling on to the West Ealing goods loop "passed a red signal, and three wheels of the locomotive came off the tracks".

Great Western Railway (GWR), Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express passengers' journeys have been affected.

"There were no injuries, and we closed the adjacent lines to assess that it was safe for trains to pass," the spokesperson added. Lines have since reopened.

Its website says disruption is affecting the line between Paddington, Heathrow Airport and Reading, and could last until 17:00 on Friday.

In a statement, it said trains could be cancelled, delayed or diverted including on the Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Terminal 4, Maidenhead and Reading; between London Paddington and Reading; and between Shenfield and Heathrow Terminal 5.

Heathrow Express trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5 may also be affected, it said.

A spokesperson for operator GB Railfreight said: "We are currently working with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of a slow-speed minor derailment of one of our trains in West Ealing.

"The site of the incident is safe and we're working to get the train re-railed as quickly as possible."

It comes after Network Rail announced last month it would develop a recovery plan for the Reading-London Paddington route, after months of poor performance.

The route is now set to be overhauled in three phases over 18 months.

In December, broken wires left 4,000 passengers stranded on trains for four hours at night near Ladbroke Grove in west London.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]